London's V&A Museum names Sophia George as first-ever Game Designer in Residence

Considering that video games are the focus of many an exhibit these days, the following news shouldn't be too shocking. The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has appointed Swallowtail Games founder Sophia George as its first-ever Game Designer in Residence. George, who won a BAFTA for her iOS title Tick Tock Toys, will be tasked with creating an interactive game for museum visitors. The first six months of the residency will involve researching the V&A Museum's extensive collection of 16th- to 20th-century art, and game production will kick off in mid-2014 at Abertay University. You know it's only a matter of time before the Met commissions a digital interpretation of its own massive sculpture gallery.

[Photo credit: Paul Farmer]

Filed under: Gaming, Storage

Comments

Via: Eurogamer.net

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/30/londons-vanda-museum-game-designer-residence/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

New Orleans Pelicans chris brown hillary clinton apple stock Pro Bowl 2013 Kick Ass Torrents jamarcus russell

Mexican-American mothers' immigration status affects children, grandchildren

Public release date: 29-May-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Tom Vasich
tmvasich@uci.edu
949-824-6455
University of California - Irvine

UCI-led study finds 2-year difference in educational attainment of next generation

Irvine, Calif., May 29, 2013 Mexican American mothers' formal immigration status influences the educational achievement of their children and even their grandchildren, according to a new study led by a UC Irvine sociologist.

Researchers found based on a large?scale survey of young, second-generation Mexican American adults in Los Angeles that those whose mothers were authorized immigrants or U.S. citizens had, on average, two more years of schooling than those whose mothers had entered the country illegally. The researchers estimate that at least a third of the education gap between third?generation Mexican Americans and native whites is attributable to the legacy effects of grandparents' unauthorized status.

"The implication of our findings is that clear pathways to legalization can boost Mexican American educational attainment even as late as the third generation," said lead author Frank Bean, Chancellor's Professor of sociology at UC Irvine. "Legislation providing the possibility of entry into full societal membership helps not only the immigrants themselves but also their children and their children's children."

The study looked closely at parental immigration status. In 10 percent of cases, the mother was U.S.?born but married to an immigrant spouse; another 44 percent had entered the country legally. The children of these mothers had an educational advantage, researchers found, over those whose mothers were unauthorized immigrants (about a third of survey subjects).

"There are nearly 4 million children of unauthorized Mexican immigrants living in this country, most of them born here," Bean said. "At present, with few pathways for their parents' legalization, they too live in the shadows. Because America's future labor force depends so heavily on the children of immigrants, we all have a stake in their progress."

UC Irvine's Susan Brown and Pennsylvania State University's Mark Leach, James Bachmeier and Jennifer Van Hook also worked on the study.

###

The research was funded by the Russell Sage Foundation and Brown University as part of the US2010 project, which examines changes in American society in the recent past.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Led by Chancellor Michael Drake since 2005, UCI is among the most dynamic campuses in the University of California system, with more than 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students, 1,100 faculty and 9,400 staff. Orange County's second-largest employer, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $4.3 billion. For more UCI news, visit news.uci.edu.

News Radio: UCI maintains on campus an ISDN line for conducting interviews with its faculty and experts. Use of this line is available for a fee to radio news programs/stations that wish to interview UCI faculty and experts. Use of the ISDN line is subject to availability and approval by the university.

UCI maintains an online directory of faculty available as experts to the media. To access, visit http://www.today.uci.edu/experts.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 29-May-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Tom Vasich
tmvasich@uci.edu
949-824-6455
University of California - Irvine

UCI-led study finds 2-year difference in educational attainment of next generation

Irvine, Calif., May 29, 2013 Mexican American mothers' formal immigration status influences the educational achievement of their children and even their grandchildren, according to a new study led by a UC Irvine sociologist.

Researchers found based on a large?scale survey of young, second-generation Mexican American adults in Los Angeles that those whose mothers were authorized immigrants or U.S. citizens had, on average, two more years of schooling than those whose mothers had entered the country illegally. The researchers estimate that at least a third of the education gap between third?generation Mexican Americans and native whites is attributable to the legacy effects of grandparents' unauthorized status.

"The implication of our findings is that clear pathways to legalization can boost Mexican American educational attainment even as late as the third generation," said lead author Frank Bean, Chancellor's Professor of sociology at UC Irvine. "Legislation providing the possibility of entry into full societal membership helps not only the immigrants themselves but also their children and their children's children."

The study looked closely at parental immigration status. In 10 percent of cases, the mother was U.S.?born but married to an immigrant spouse; another 44 percent had entered the country legally. The children of these mothers had an educational advantage, researchers found, over those whose mothers were unauthorized immigrants (about a third of survey subjects).

"There are nearly 4 million children of unauthorized Mexican immigrants living in this country, most of them born here," Bean said. "At present, with few pathways for their parents' legalization, they too live in the shadows. Because America's future labor force depends so heavily on the children of immigrants, we all have a stake in their progress."

UC Irvine's Susan Brown and Pennsylvania State University's Mark Leach, James Bachmeier and Jennifer Van Hook also worked on the study.

###

The research was funded by the Russell Sage Foundation and Brown University as part of the US2010 project, which examines changes in American society in the recent past.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Led by Chancellor Michael Drake since 2005, UCI is among the most dynamic campuses in the University of California system, with more than 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students, 1,100 faculty and 9,400 staff. Orange County's second-largest employer, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $4.3 billion. For more UCI news, visit news.uci.edu.

News Radio: UCI maintains on campus an ISDN line for conducting interviews with its faculty and experts. Use of this line is available for a fee to radio news programs/stations that wish to interview UCI faculty and experts. Use of the ISDN line is subject to availability and approval by the university.

UCI maintains an online directory of faculty available as experts to the media. To access, visit http://www.today.uci.edu/experts.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-05/uoc--mam052913.php

snooki pregnant gbc hedy lamarr kowloon walled city ronda rousey vs miesha tate lindsay lohan snl lindsay lohan on snl

Asia stocks down as Fed fears weigh on markets

BANGKOK (AP) ? Concerns that the Federal Reserve might start scaling back its stimulus program due to a seeming improvement in the U.S. economy sent Asian stock markets lower Thursday.

Sharp rises in global stock markets this year have been partly fueled by central bank actions to support economies in the U.S., Europe and Japan. Positive signs of growth in the U.S., including data released Tuesday showing improved consumer confidence and housing prices, have helped boost Wall Street stocks to record highs.

However, an improving U.S. economy increases the chance that the Fed might ease back on its massive bond-buying program, known as quantitative easing. The purchase of $85 billion a month in Treasury bonds has helped keep interest rates super-low and been a boon to stock markets, where investors have fled in search of higher returns.

Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell 2.8 percent to 13,932.92. Hong Kong's Hang Seng shed 0.2 percent to 22,518.85. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 dropped 1.5 percent to 4,900.90. Benchmarks in Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, and the Philippines also fell. South Korea went against the flow, rising 0.2 percent to 2,005.99.

The lack of major data releases for the day deprives investors of reasons to wade into stocks, analysts said.

"A lack of first tier data releases today will limit activity although the tone will likely remain relatively downbeat," said Mitul Kotecha of Credit Agricole CIB in a market commentary.

The latest speculation surrounding the Fed came after the release of positive consumer confidence and housing news on Tuesday. That led investors to fret over the prospect of the Fed reducing its bond-buying.

With the approach of the end of the month, investors also were booking profits.

Benchmark oil for July delivery was up 5 cents to $93.15 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract for the benchmark grade fell $1.88 to close at $93.13 a barrel on the Nymex on Wednesday.

In currencies, the euro rose to $1.2958 from $1.2934 late Thursday in New York. The dollar rose to 101.23 yen from 101.15 yen.

___

Follow Pamela Sampson on Twitter at http://twitter.com/pamelasampson

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/asia-stocks-down-fed-fears-weigh-markets-031850567.html

trina rob dyrdek oberon donald driver donald driver robin thicke mariana trench

Gunmen kill female polio worker in Pakistan

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) ? Gunmen shot dead a female polio worker and wounded another in Pakistan's northwest on Tuesday, the latest attack against people involved in efforts to eradicate the crippling disease from this violence-torn country.

The attacks have made it harder for Pakistan to join the vast majority of nations declared polio-free, and late Tuesday, government officials were debating whether to suspend the U.N.-backed vaccination campaign in the northwest.

No group has claimed responsibility for the latest killings, but some Pakistani militants have alleged in the past that the polio workers are U.S. spies and that the vaccine makes people sterile.

Reinforcing those suspicions was the disclosure that the CIA used a Pakistani doctor to run a hepatitis vaccination campaign to try to get blood samples from al-Qaida founder Osama bin Laden's family before U.S. commandos killed him there in May 2011.

The two women were attacked Tuesday in Kaggawala village on the outskirts of the main northwest city of Peshawar, police officer Mushtaq Khan said.

Senior police official Shafiullah Khan said two attackers on foot fired a pistol at the women. He said police have started a search operation.

Health, municipal and other officials in the northwest Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province were meeting Tuesday evening to discuss whether to suspend the vaccinations, according to a provincial government official who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter with reporters.

The World Health Organization, the U.N. agency that oversees much of the polio vaccination work in Pakistan, condemned the attack. It said it was in touch with Pakistani officials in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa as they discussed what to do next.

Dr. Nima Saeed Abid, acting WHO country head for Pakistan, said the safety of his polio workers, many of whom are women, was paramount.

"I hope the government will provide them with the requested security for the health workers," he said. "And after careful assessment, they should resume their activities."

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari blasted what he called a "cowardly" attack, and resolved that "the government will not permit militants to deprive our children of basic health care."

Pakistan is one of only three countries in the world, along with Afghanistan and Nigeria, where polio is still endemic. Health workers have made strides against the disease in recent years, but the violence threatens to reverse that progress.

In December, gunmen killed nine polio workers in different parts of Pakistan. Several more workers have been killed since then, as well as police who were protecting them.

The U.N. said in March that some 240,000 children had missed vaccinations since July in parts of Pakistan's tribal belt, the main sanctuary for Islamic militants, because of security concerns.

Elsewhere in Pakistan's northwest on Tuesday, a roadside bomb killed the son of a member of an anti-Taliban militia and wounded the militia member and five others, police official Gul Afzal Afridi said.

The bomb exploded on the outskirts of Mingora, a main town in the Swat Valley, which was once largely under the control of the Taliban until an army operation in 2009.

The militants have since staged occasional bombings and other attacks in Swat. Anti-Taliban militias ? often referred to as peace committees ? have helped hold the militants back.

Afridi said the apparent target Tuesday was militia member Sher Ali. His son Barkat Ali died.

A bomb planted on a motorcycle went off near a place of worship of Shiite Muslims in the northwestern city of Peshawar on Tuesday, killing two and wounding 10 others, police official Zahid Khan said.

Imran Hassan, a resident, said most of the dead and wounded were Shiites.

No one claimed responsibility, but authorities have blamed Sunni militant groups for previous attacks against minority Shiites.

Also Tuesday, gunmen fired on a vehicle carrying a Shiite Muslim lawyer and two of his sons, killing them, in an apparent sectarian attack in Pakistan's largest city, Karachi, police officer Najam Tareen said.

Karachi, a port city of 18 million, is a hotbed of ethnic, political and sectarian violence, and Shiite professionals are often targeted.

___

Toosi reported from Islamabad. Associated Press writers Sherin Zada in Mingora, Pakistan, and Atif Raza in Karachi, Pakistan, contributed to this report.

___

Follow Nahal Toosi on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nahaltoosi

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gunmen-kill-female-polio-worker-pakistan-140007153.html

daniel tosh Jason Kidd All Star Game 2012 directv rashard lewis curacao curacao

OTR App Is Like Snapchat For Co-Workers - Business Insider

O.T.R.

O.T.R. lets you send private messages with coworkers

Here's a new app that wants to do for coworkers what Snapchat did for sexting.

It's called O.T.R., which stands for Off The Record, and it lets you send private photos and messages to your coworkers.

The app lets you view the message or picture for a few seconds and then deletes it.

One big difference with O.T.R. versus Snapchat is that O.T.R. is not a mobile app. It's currently available as a browser add-on for Google Chrome, with IE and Firefox extensions coming soon and an app for Yammer. The idea is that most people are still using PCs while at work, not their smartphones.

The app was created last year at the TechCrunch Hackathon by the team from Lamplighter Games, a three-person New York startup best known for the iPad game Trivia Party.

The hack won a top prize from Yammer and now the app is available to everyone.

You can download it for your Chrome Browser here.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/otr-app-is-like-snapchat-for-co-workers-2013-5

jessica biel Lena Dunham elton john janelle monae weather nyc national signing day Solomon Islands

New ruthenium complexes target cancer cells without typical side effects, study suggests

May 28, 2013 ? A team of UT Arlington researchers has identified two ruthenium-based complexes they believe could pave the way for treatments that control cancer cell growth more effectively and are less toxic for patients than current chemotherapies.

Fred MacDonnell, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at The University of Texas at Arlington, has been researching a new generation of metal-based antitumor agents along with a team from the City of Hope Comprehensive Center Center in Duarte, Calif. Their aim is to find new therapies to complement widely used platinum-based therapies, such as cisplatin. Cisplatin is one of the most widely used anti-cancer drugs and shows remarkable effectiveness against some cancers, however it does not work on all cancers and can have severe side effects.

In a study published in the May edition of Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, the team describes two newly developed ruthenium polypyridyl complexes, or RPCs, that yielded results comparable to cisplatin against human non-small cell lung cancer cells in pre-clinical lab tests.

A graphic from MacDonnell's paper shows the growth of a control tumor compared to the growth of tumors treated with ruthenium-based complexes developed in the lab.

Unlike cisplatin, the RPCs were generally cleared from the body unchanged, without noticeable effects on metabolism or kidney function. In lab tests, healthy cells could withstand almost 10 times as much exposure to the team's ruthenium complexes as the cancer cells.

The study also found that the RPCs seemed to target cells in hypoxic states. Hypoxia, or low oxygen, is a signature of tumor cells.

"Cancer drugs on the market now generally are less effective under hypoxic conditions or insensitive to the oxygen concentration," MacDonnell said. "Since many tumor cells are under hypoxic stress and most normal cells are not, having something that becomes even more effective under hypoxia could have some real benefit to the patient."

The effectiveness of the RPCs tested seems to be associated with a particular portion of their structure. This portion, known as "tatpp" is redox-active, which means it is reduced when bound to DNA in the normal cellular environment. MacDonnell's team believe that this reduction step in the DNA bound compound sets in motion a biological process that triggers apoptosis, also known as programmed cell death, in cancer cells. Under hypoxic conditions, this reduction is more prevalent, leading to greater cell death in those cells.

"Being activated under low-oxygen conditions makes these unique complexes excellent candidates for use on some of the most difficult to treat tumors," said Dr. Sanjay Awasthi, professor of medical oncology and therapeutics research at City of Hope. "Now that we have demonstrated the role of the tatpp ligand in these biological processes, our team can continue toward the goal of using ruthenium-based complexes to enhance current treatments."

MacDonnell said the ruthenium complexes' increased effectiveness against malignant cells could be because the complexes can more easily enter cancer cells, which tend to be more metabolically active than normal cells. That hypothesis, however, is something the team will explore with further research.?

Besides MacDonnell and Awasthi, co-authors are: Abhishek Yadav, Thamara Janaratne, Adam S. Dayoub and Arthi Krishnan, of the UT Arlington chemistry/biochemistry department; Doyle H. Hawkins, of the UT Arlington math department; and Sharad S. Singhal and Sushma Yadav, of the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/l31mO0Oqdjc/130528143727.htm

holocaust remembrance day chesapeake energy dick clark death yom hashoah yolo liquidmetal gsa scandal

Confessions Of A Maximum Security Prison Guard - Careers Articles

By Paul Szoldra

Life behind bars is a challenge for prisoners serving time, but they aren't the only ones in maximum security prisons dealing with stress. Corrections officers responsible for overseeing prisons work in one of the most stressful and hazardous jobs in the U.S. -- topping the list of occupations with some of the highest nonfatal on-the-job injuries.

One Ohio CO took to the popular Reddit networking site to answer questions in an "Ask-Me-Anything" format, offering a very interesting (and somewhat disturbing) look at the life of a prison gatekeeper.

Some answers have been slightly edited for clarity.

On whether he has ever been afraid for his life while on the job:

I once denied access to chow 5 minutes too early and had 70 irate inmates standing in front of me pounding their fists. I called for backup, but at that moment I feared for my life due to their sheer strength in numbers.

I once was clocking out and was told by my supervisor that there was a riot planned in the block I was working that day and they planned to take a CO hostage. Thanks a lot, boss.

More: 10 Most Dangerous Jobs In The U.S.

On the dangers that officers face outside of work:

My wife and I have a code phrase. If we are out and about and I say "time to find socks," and quickly walk away -- that means I've spotted a former inmate that could possibly wish harm on me and my family. The life of my family and my life are threatened every day, followed by "I get out in xxx days." It only takes one to follow up.

He went on to say he's run into former inmates twice, but they ended "without incident." He also noted that "time to find socks" was not the actual code he uses.

On some of the unique weapons prisoners are able to create:

I see a lot of straightened, sharpened bed springs. A razor blade melted into a toothbrush handle. Tightly rolled paper and elastic band from a pair of underwear can be used to make a lethal bow and arrow.

More: Confessions Of A Prison Doctor

On what was the most disturbing contraband item ever discovered at his facility:

Cell phones are HORRIBLE. Gang leaders can quickly communicate and coordinate with other inmates at other institutions. Riots, murders ... Things like that. I've found steroids. Freakishly strong, insubordinate inmates that refuse to [do] anything you ask are dangerous. Especially when it becomes physical.

On how prisoners can possibly get such an item:

Staff bring in phones and in return are paid on the street by inmates' families.

I've heard [smugglers can be paid] $1500 for a smart phone. But I've never fully investigated. I value my career and livelihood of my family [too much] to do something impulsive like that.

On the importance of respect in prison:

The older gang leaders are respected by staff if they give the respect. They don't have to lift a finger on the compound. Their soldiers get them food, clothes, press their clothing, do all their work really. Older inmates that are respectable are called "convicts." A young gang banger is an "inmate."

More: A New Career Option For Ex-Cons: White-Collar Jail-Prep Tutor

On how prisoners find out about convicted child molesters and rapists:

When they call their families, they have the family member look up the inmate by name or number on the state offender search Web page where charges are listed. Child molesters normally have a very distinguishing look to them.

He agreed that inmates generally despise rapists and child molesters, saying "they are preyed upon and extorted very much."

On how to survive your first day in the joint:

Mean what you say and say what you mean. If you tell a guy you will get him something, get it for him. If you tell a guy you're gonna slam him if he doesn't go back to his cell, well ... get busy.

On whether he ever feels pity towards any of the inmates:

It does break my heart when I see an inmate holding his kids in the visit room. Those children did nothing to have their father taken away. A father is a protector and a mentor. Those children are missing all of that.

---

Don't Miss: Companies Hiring Now

---

Related Stories

Business Insider

Business Insider is a fast-growing business site with deep financial, media, tech, and other industry verticals. Business Insider is dedicated to aggregating, reporting, and analyzing the top news stories across the web and delivering them to you at rapid-fire pace.

more...

Source: http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/05/28/confessions-maximum-security-prison-guard/

may day protests tony nominations 2012 facebook organ donor jessica simpson gives birth carrie underwood blown away chk ryan seacrest

Binge-watching Arrested Development was a huge mistake

There's only so much off-kilter comedy one can take

Was the long-anticipated fourth season of Arrested Development any good? My colleague, Scott Meslow, can answer that question.

I'm here to talk about my epic feat of laziness: Streaming the entire season on Netflix in a single day. I was not, a la Alex in A Clockwork Orange, forced to watch it as my editor calmly dripped saline solution into my eyes.

SEE MORE: Your purse is disgusting

No, I binge-watched voluntarily, like I did before with Friday Night Lights, and like I will do again whenever Joss Whedon releases Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. I once binge-watched a half-season of Battlestar Galactica despite having already seen the entire series. When it comes to binging on dramas, I am, sadly, a pro.

Comedy is different. Arrested Development creator Mitch Hurwitz warned viewers from watching all 15 episodes at once, telling New York, "Don?t feel obligated to watch it all at once. It?s a comedy! It?s not like Lord of the Rings. Comedy takes a lot out of you."

SEE MORE: Today in business: 5 things you need to know

Plenty of people joined me in not taking his advice, including Kevin Smith and, awesomely enough, St. Vincent's Annie Clark:

Don't bother me - I'm watching new ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT eps on @netflix all day long. #QuatroDeMayo

SEE MORE: California's health-care exchange: Proof ObamaCare works?

? KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith) May 26, 2013

Making mayoneggs in prep for Arrested Development binge. #her?

? st vincent (@st_vincent) May 27, 2013

You can hardly blame us. This was supposed to be the perfect Netflix show.

SEE MORE: 5 U.S. military weapons reportedly compromised by Chinese hackers

As Farhad Manjoo argued in Slate, Arrested Development, more than any other program, "depended on, and showed the potential for, new technologies that would revolutionize how we all watched TV" ? a shame since it was released in 2003, before DVRs became widespread and Netflix's streaming service even existed.

The layers of fast-paced, self-referential jokes were perfect for re-watching, chopping up, and meme-ifying. Initially, Hurwitz wanted each episode of season four to stand on its own, so that they could be watched in any order. He later took that statement back and told audiences they should be watched sequentially.

SEE MORE: America's war on vacation: By the numbers

Still, the Rashomon-style narrative device remained, with each episode focusing on a single character's point of view. Fans can still skip around without losing much of the plot.

For Brian Merchant of VICE's Motherboard, it wasn't exactly Netflix marathon-viewing nirvana:

The feat would have been innovative, to say the least. Interchangeable episodes! Made-for-Netflix-binge-watching! It would be A New Way to Watch TV ? something that the Arrested Development 1.0 had been breathlessly extolled as having already accomplished. Hurwitz no doubt felt the weight of the expectations ? the generational love-fest that's been directed at Arrested is far beyond that of a merely adored cancelled sitcom ? he wanted to give those fans something to really tweet about Sunday morning. He was envisioning his show as a cutting edge internet product, not just good comedy. But it didn't pan out. [Motherboard]

I would have to agree. As I sat on my couch with a whole thing of candy beans, I began to fear I had made a huge mistake. The problem was that the narrative structure made binge-watching a chore.

SEE MORE: Nike dumps the Livestrong wristband: Is the charity doomed?

Ron Howard ? once again serving as the show's narrator ? spends so much time explaining and re-explaining major plot points that the show could probably be remade into an audio book with minimal effort. After hearing him explain Cinco de Quatro or FakeBlock for the 10th time, I couldn't help but doze off for a little bit.

Jace Lacob of The Daily Beast also got tired of Howard's voice, writing, "There is so much narration ? used here as a crutch rather than the comedic tool it was during the show?s Fox run ? that the entire 15-episode season feels like a 'Previously on Arrested Development' segment told over eight hours."

SEE MORE: The daily gossip: Daniel Radcliffe says he would play Harry Potter's dad, and more

Would the narration still annoy me if I was watching one episode every week? Perhaps, but not nearly as much as it did around hour six.

Binge-watching also works better with dramas, which depend on cliffhangers and plot twists to keep viewers engaged. Every time Battlestar Galactica revealed a new Cylon, I lost 50 minutes of sleep by hitting "Play next episode."

SEE MORE: WATCH: Train derails outside Baltimore, erupts in enormous fireball

Comedies like Arrested Development and 30 Rock don't work that way. Yes, they have plots, but the aspects that stick out in people's minds are the clever lines and funny gags. I remember Tobias F?nke's famous phrase: "I'm afraid I just blue myself." I don't remember what happened in the episode that he said it in.

In the end, it's hard to justify watching it all in one sitting. Sadly, no amount of forget-me-nows can help me fix my mistake.

SEE MORE: For better or worse, ObamaCare is changing U.S. health care

View this article on TheWeek.com Get 4 Free Issues of The Week

Other stories from this section:

Like on Facebook?-?Follow on Twitter?-?Sign-up for Daily Newsletter

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/binge-watching-arrested-development-huge-mistake-193000164.html

etch a sketch the host hoodie hoosiers temperance world bank kim kardashian flour bomb

Obama: Country Will Be 'Shelter from the Storm' for Oklahoma (ABC News)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/308435941?client_source=feed&format=rss

History Channel The Bible alex smith alex smith The Bible History Channel Melissa King Heat Harlem Shake mediterranean diet

Iraq officials says separate attacks kill 12

BAGHDAD (AP) ? A string of attacks killed at least 12 people in Iraq on Sunday, officials said, in the latest violence of what has been a particularly bloody month in the country.

Iraq has been hit by a wave of bloodshed that has killed some 300 people in the past two weeks alone, raising tensions between the country's Sunni minority and Shiite-led government. The surge in violence has been reminiscent of the sectarian carnage that pushed Iraq to the brink of civil war in 2006 and 2007.

Sunday's deadliest attack took place in the northern city of Mosul, where a car bomb went off at a house early in the morning while a joint army-police unit was conducting door-to-door searches. The blast killed three policemen and one soldier, a provincial police officer said. Twenty people, including four civilians, were wounded.

Also in Mosul, police said militants gunned down a policeman in his car in the city center. Authorities also found a body floating in the Tigris river, shot at close range with hands bound behind the back. Mosul, some 360 kilometers (225 miles) northwest of Baghdad, is a former stronghold of Sunni militants.

In northern Baghdad's Kazimiyah district, militants in a speeding car went on a shooting spree that killed three civilians and wounded another, two police officers said.

And in Iraq's western province of Anbar, the birthplace of the Sunni insurgency led by al-Qaida in Iraq, three soldiers were killed and five wounded in two separate attacks by roadside bombs on their patrols, police and army officers said.

Two medical officials confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke anonymously as they were not authorized to release information.

Insurgent attacks have decreased sharply in Iraq since the height of insurgency, but recent spikes in attacks amid months-old Sunni protests against the Shiite-led government have raised fears that sectarian killings could gain fresh momentum across the country.

Alarmed by a nationwide deterioration in the security situation, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has ordered a reshuffle in senior military ranks.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iraq-officials-says-separate-attacks-kill-12-160159130.html

Jenny Rivera Pacquiao vs Marquez 4 pacquiao Jim DeMint Dave Brubeck frankie muniz today show

Samsung ATIV Book 7 review: a high-end Ultrabook arriving just before Haswell

If you've been waiting for Samsung to refresh last year's Series 9 Ultrabook, don't hold your breath; apart from a recent upgrade to 1080p resolution, it's basically stayed the same. That doesn't mean Samsung is taking a break from ultraportables, though: the company recently started shipping the Series 7 Ultra (now called the ATIV Book 7), which debuted at CES. Regardless of the name, the idea was always for it to be part of Samsung's performance line, ranking right below the flagship Series 9 family. To that end, it ships for $1,060 with all the specs you'd expect to find in a mid- to high-end Ultrabook: a Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, a 128GB SSD, a 13.3-inch, 1080p display and a stronger set of speakers than on the Series 9. Obviously, the fact that it's launching with Ivy Bridge is one knock against it, but how does it stack up otherwise? Might it be a good deal if it ever gets a CPU refresh?

Filed under: Laptops, Samsung

Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/26/samsung-ativ-book-7-review/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

US weekly amelia earhart Sally Ride Ichiro minka kelly James Holmes court Rupert Sanders

10 fans injured when TV cable falls on race track

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) ? Charlotte Motor Speedway said 10 fans were injured Sunday at the Coca-Cola 600 and three were taken to the hospital after a nylon rope supporting a FOX Sports overhead television camera fell from the grandstands and landed on the track surface.

It's unclear the extent of the injuries of the three people taken to the hospital.

Seven people were treated with "minor cuts and scrapes" on site and released, according to a statement released by CMS.

Fox Sports sportscaster Chris Myers apologized to fans and drivers on air on behalf of the network during the race.

The incident occurred on lap 121 of the 400-lap NASCAR Sprint Cup race.

The race was delayed for 27 minutes while crews repaired damage to their cars.

Kyle Busch, going for a sweep at Charlotte Motor Speedway after winning the Nationwide and Truck series races, was leading when he incurred damage to the right front wheel well of his No. 18 Toyota.

Marcos Ambrose and Mark Martin also reported damage.

No drivers were injured.

The cars were initially brought along pit row as workers cleared the ropes from the track.

At first, NASCAR called threw a caution flag before two red flags came out. NASCAR eventually allowed the cars to come into the pits, giving crews 15 minutes to work on their cars.

During the break, Busch's crew frantically worked to repair a number of problems to the right front wheel well. After completing repairs to the car, the crew slapped high-fives after getting the car back on the track.

Busch remained competitive and was running in the top five at the midpoint of the race. He has never won a Sprint Cup race at Charlotte Motor Speedway and has suffered his share of bad luck at the track.

But this one was unique.

The nylon rope that caused the damage was a guide for network television CamCat overhead camera system, CMS said in the statement.

After the incident the camera and the main wires that support it located on the front stretch of the track remained intact. But the remaining nylon ropes were removed.

Prior to the restart, Ambrose was made to run five laps on his own to make up for the laps missed when he pulled into pit row and the rest of the field was under caution.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/10-fans-injured-tv-cable-falls-race-track-010102219.html

19 kids and counting danny o brien alicia silverstone park slope food coop anchorman sequel safety not guaranteed lifehouse

Golden Gate Bridge Traffic Barrier Coming By 2015, Say Officials

SAN FRANCISCO -- A median traffic barrier to prevent potentially deadly head-on accidents on the Golden Gate Bridge is expected to be in place by early 2015, according to span officials.

The district has the money for the $26.5 million project, in large part because the Metropolitan Transportation Commission handed over $20 million in federal grants. Toll revenue and other grant funds will pay the balance.

Now final paperwork and reviews are being done so construction -- which will take about a year -- can begin.

"All the studies and other things that have to be completed before we go out for a bid on the project will be done by the end of this year," said Mary Currie, bridge district spokeswoman.

Part of the project will see the removal and rebuilding of the east side toll plaza lanes to house the vehicles that will move the barrier.

A moveable median barrier is in use on the new Doyle Drive just south of the Golden Gate Bridge, but on the span freeway-speed traffic remains separated by only small, yellow tubes sticking up between lanes. Workers on a truck place those rubber, 19-inch-high tubes by hand on the roadway every 25 feet to separate traffic.

But by 2015, bridge officials say "zipper" trucks will move a foot-wide, 32-inch-high barrier made of high-density concrete clad in steel and tightly pinned together to form a semi-rigid structure. Storage for the trucks would be built at the north and

south ends of the span.

The barrier width of 12 inches is important, said Ewa Bauer, district engineer.

"We operate with 10-foot-wide lanes, so it is key that the space we take away is minimal," she told the district's Building and Operating Committee on Friday.

There have been 36 fatalities on the span since 1971, the last on July 3, 2001, with 16 fatalities occurring in head-on crashes. During that time, there have been more than 1.7 billion vehicle crossings; about 40 million cars a year cross the 1.7-mile bridge.

The barrier project has been discussed for years, but after receiving conceptual approval in 1998 the proposal languished. A spate of head-on collisions in 1996 on the six-lane bridge spurred a push for the barrier.

In recent years, the bridge district has imposed several measures aimed at improving bridge safety. Speeds were lowered to 45 mph, enforcement of speed violations was heightened and fines increased for speeders.

Contact Mark Prado via email at mprado@marinij.com ___

Related on HuffPost:

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/26/golden-gate-bridge-traffic-barrier_n_3339279.html

disco inferno b.i.g 1000 words ron white ron white buckyballs buckyballs

LA stoplights synchronized but road war endures

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? It seems that the impossible has occurred: The nation's most congested city has become a model for traffic control.

Yes, gridlock still prevails and drivers' blood pressure still spikes as LA's traffic arteries seize up during every morning and afternoon rush hour.

Yet, with the flip of a switch earlier this year, Los Angeles became a worldwide leader by synchronizing all of its nearly 4,400 stoplights, making it the world's first major city to do so.

The result? Well, it can still be hell to cross the City of the Angels by car. Synchronization has allowed LA to boast of real improvements on paper, however, the average driver won't always be able to discern the difference of a project that took nearly 30 years to complete.

"To be honest with you, I haven't felt it, yet," said Jack Abramyam, who has been driving a cab across LA's mean streets for 20 years.

"Late at night, maybe, yes," Abramyam said as he sat outside his cab on a street in Chinatown recently, waiting for a fare. "But it was never really bad then anyway. During the day it was bad. And it's still bad."

The way synchronization works is simple enough: With all the signals synchronized, if you drive down a street at the posted speed limit you should be able to make every green light ? from one end of this sprawling city of 469 square miles to the other.

Of course there are any number of obstacles that can prevent that.

On a recent mid-afternoon test drive down eight miles of Wilshire Boulevard, for example, I was cut off by a bus, stuck behind more than one right-turner waiting for pedestrians to cross the intersecting street and at one point had my lane blocked by a delivery truck.

Approaching the world famous La Brea Tar Pits ? where prehistoric dinosaurs once got stuck in muck, not traffic ? so many people were waiting to turn left into a parking lot that the street became gridlocked for more than two blocks. The numerous synchronized green lights didn't wait for me. But why would they? With the posted speed limit 35 mph, I was only averaging 15.

Still, once the LA County Museum of Art, the high-rise apartments, the headquarters of porn publisher Larry Flynt and the various other Wilshire Boulevard landmarks were in the rear-view mirror, the pace did pick up. So much so that 11 green lights in a row suddenly materialized. That string ended on the edge of downtown, however, when Wilshire simply became clogged with too many cars. It was a non-rush hour jam that demonstrated that, good as synchronization may be, it isn't a magic, traffic-breaking bullet.

Los Angeles Department of Transportation officials agree.

As they stated in a recent report praising the benefits of synchronized signals, "No traffic signal system is capable of 'fixing traffic.'"

If more motor vehicles show up in the years ahead (and there are already more than 7.1 million of them registered in Los Angeles County, a number greater than that of most states), then officials say LA traffic jams will probably get worse.

That's why, said Clinton Quan, an engineering associate with the Department of Transportation, planners are continuing to push people to ride bicycles, take commuter rail lines and other public transportation and move close enough to work that they can walk there.

The city has added three light rail lines in the last seven years and has more planned. Officials also recently approved plans to allow high-rise apartment and condominium buildings along a corridor in Hollywood where a subway connecting the city's West Side to downtown is supposed to go.

In the meantime, Quan says, the synchronized signal program is putting up some pretty impressive numbers, even if the average driver isn't noticing them. It has reduced the drive time on several major LA corridors, for example, by about 12 percent.

In driver-speak, that means the trip across town that used to take you an hour has been reduced to about 53 minutes.

And that's nothing to shrug at, says Robert Puentes, a senior fellow with the Brookings Institution's metropolitan policy program, which studies among other things the impact of traffic on the quality of life in metropolitan areas.

Several other traffic-clogged cities are looking into instituting similar programs and New York already synchronizes some of its stoplights, said Puentes, who works in Washington, D.C., the ninth-worst traffic-clogged city in the country.

"If you can get a 12 percent reduction on, say, the Washington Beltway, that would be phenomenal," he said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-05-25-Synchronizing%20LA's%20Signals/id-80edeae08c854ea8a9756dfcd6954d3f

Solomon Islands Mary Leakey Side Effects bob marley weather the walking dead the walking dead

Forex Trading In Islamic Finance | ICM

Since receiving as well as paying of interest is Haram in Islam, Muslims therefore require a special kind of forex trading account. Conventional forex accounts charge (or pay) interest to the account holder, determined by rollover positions held over the weekend ? on a currency pair that has a positive/negative interest rate differential between the currencies. Islamic Forex Accounts negates the interest costs receivable (or payable), and in fact can still function as effectively as any other conventional forex accounts. It is important for a Muslim trader to partner with the right broker in order to make your investments as shariah compliant as possible. Below, we discuss some of the issues surrounding forex trading within the Islamic Finance domain:

The Trading of Currency with Currency

Fursa FX recognizes that only spot forex trading is considered halal as the transaction is done on a spot basis, meaning both price and delivery of the asset are settled at the same moment in time. Currently, we refrain from trading in currency options, swaps, futures, forwards and other derivative contracts as the conditions for which trading of these instruments are permissible depends on a case to case basis (for example, Islamic Scholars and Experts have claimed that swaps are not allowed in the manner they are practiced in the commodity exchange, defined under the AAOIFI Syariah Standard, hlm 358). However, buying and selling of currencies is permissible and is termed Bai Sarf in Islamic banking, and Muslims are allowed to exchange Silver with Gold, buy Gold with US dollars and buy US dollars by selling Euro. The mechanics of Bai Sarf is halal but it has to be done on the spot. We do our best to ensure that all the transactions that we provide or conduct are according to the principles of Halal, or Islamic permissibility.
Leveraged Investments

Current Islamic banking & finance practices do not completely rule out the use of leverage in investments. If we consider the example of Islamic REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts) in Malaysia, these instruments operate at a maximum leverage of 33 %. Debt ratio below or equal to this level is deemed acceptable by governing authorities in Malaysia. (Muhammad Ayub, 2007 and Jawad Ali, 2007). In addition, Fursa FX does not invest in anywhere that has high excessive leverage of 1:500, as this would promote excessive speculation and incur unnecessary risk for the investor. Our manual trading accounts are thus limited to a 1:100 leverage configuration.

It is worth to note that, at the end of the day, traders should take personal responsibility and not to over-leverage and be exposed to unnecessary risk.

Haram vs Halal

Religion is a personal relationship between self and God and each is responsible for his own choices and decisions. Islamic finance is always evolving and that there are risks and dangers of being trapped in the Im right and youre wrong mentality. Even among the various recognized Shariaah scholars, their opinions may differ in many aspects of Islamic finance, including the topic of forex trading. The beauty of Islam is that it has many different points of view and dynamism, so that we can learn from each other for everyones benefit. Diversity is our strength and that Islam is meant to be suitable for everyone in this world. The most important thing is to respect others beliefs and not to miss out on the bigger purpose and objective of the laws to benefit the community and provide an ethical and fair trade for all. Fursa FX does not claim to be the ultimate authority on the permissibility on Islamic Forex trading, but we strive to provide the best Shariah-compliant trading platform possible and we are always on the lookout to improve and keep up to date with the latest developments.

Source: http://www.icm2010.com/forex-trading-in-islamic-finance.asp

NFL fantasy football Chris Kluwe Jennifer Granholm Tulane player injured fox sports obama speech Art Modell

The world's favorite fruit only better-tasting and longer-lasting

Friday, May 24, 2013

Tomatoes, said to be the world's most popular fruit, can be made both better-tasting and longer-lasting thanks to UK research with purple GM varieties.

"Working with GM tomatoes that are different to normal fruit only by the addition of a specific compound, allows us to pinpoint exactly how to breed in valuable traits," said Professor Cathie Martin from the John Innes Centre.

The research could also lead to GM varieties with better flavour, health and shelf life characteristics because even higher levels of the compounds can be achieved.

In research to be published in Current Biology, Martin and colleagues studied tomatoes enriched in anthocyanin, a natural pigment that confers high antioxidant capacity. The purple GM tomatoes have already been found to prolong the lives of cancer-prone mice and in the latest findings they also more double the normal shelf life of tomatoes from an average of 21 days to 48 days.

"Post-harvest losses due to rotting are such a serious problem for growers and supermarkets that even an increased shelf life of one day would make an enormous difference to them," said Yang Zhang, lead author from the John Innes Centre.

One way to improve shelf life is to pick tomatoes early when they are still green and induce them to ripen artificially with ethylene. However, this results in loss of flavour. Another method is to grow varieties that never fully ripen, but these also never develop a full flavour.

In the current study, anthocyanins were found to slow down the over-ripening process that leads to rotting and softening, achieving a tomato with a long shelf life and full flavour. The purple tomatoes were also less susceptible to one of the most important postharvest diseases, grey mould caused by Botrytis cinerea.

Conventional tomatoes can now be screened for their antioxidant capacity. Those found to be highest in antioxidant compounds can be used as parental lines for breeding.

"Our research has identified a new target for breeders to produce tomato varieties that are fuller in flavour, and so more appealing to consumers, and more valuable commercially due to increased shelf life," said Martin.

The findings could also be applied to other soft fruit such as strawberries and raspberries.

Other varieties of JIC tomatoes high in a variety of compounds such as those found in red wine are being used by Essex company Biodeb to develop a range of skincare products.

###

Norwich BioScience Institutes: http://www.nbi.ac.uk/

Thanks to Norwich BioScience Institutes for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 65 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/128386/The_world_s_favorite_fruit_only_better_tasting_and_longer_lasting

jambalaya taylor swift and zac efron basketball wives manny ramirez easter 2012 jeremy lin espn sassafras

IRS official at center of scandal put on leave

By Kim Dixon and Patrick Temple-West

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lois Lerner, an Internal Revenue Service official at the center of the scandal over the agency's extra scrutiny of conservative groups, was put on administrative leave on Thursday after she refused to resign, a senator said.

Republican Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa said new acting IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel asked for Lerner's resignation.

An IRS spokesman declined to comment on Lerner's status, citing privacy concerns. However, an internal memo supplied by the agency named Lerner's replacement.

An aide to Grassley said Werfel spoke with Grassley's office on Thursday afternoon and conveyed the information.

A bipartisan chorus in Congress had been calling for her to go. Democratic Senator Carl Levin and Republican Senator John McCain had written to Werfel earlier on Thursday calling for her to be removed.

The move comes one day after a defiant Lerner refused to answer questions during a House of Representatives panel hearing into why workers in a Cincinnati, Ohio, field office of the IRS in early 2010 began targeting conservative groups for extra scrutiny when they applied for tax exempt status.

Lerner oversaw the tax-exempt division.

Her lawyer, William Taylor, did not immediately respond to a request for comment late on Thursday.

Lerner is seen as a key figure in the unfolding scandal that has spawned a Justice Department criminal probe and become a distraction for President Barack Obama as he pursues an ambitious second-term agenda.

Three congressional hearings over the past week have failed to reveal who at the IRS was responsible for the targeting that occurred for roughly 18 months.

On Wednesday, Lerner denied she had done anything wrong, but asserted her constitutional right against self-incrimination.

House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa has accused Lerner of providing "false or misleading information" to his committee on four occasions last year.

Lerner was the official who first publicly acknowledged the targeting by responding to a planted question about the topic at an American Bar Association conference on May 10.

The admission came before a Treasury Department inspector general report found that workers in the Cincinnati office used "inappropriate criteria" such as the terms "Tea Party" and "Patriots" to target the applications of conservative groups for intense scrutiny.

Lerner was alerted in June 2011 that partisan criteria were being used, and she ordered them changed. They were then changed back in January 2012 to again focus on the policy positions of organizations, but is it not clear who changed them.

"From all accounts so far, the IRS acting commissioner was on solid ground to ask for her resignation," Grassley said in a statement.

He added that Lerner "shouldn't be in limbo indefinitely on the taxpayers' dime."

Werfel, a White House budget official who officially started at the IRS on Wednesday, announced Lerner's replacement in an employee memo on Thursday.

Ken Corbin, a deputy director in charge of the wage and investment division at the IRS, will take over as acting director of the tax exempt organizations unit, Werfel said, without acknowledging Lerner.

Werfel himself took over for Acting Commissioner Steve Miller, who was fired by President Barack Obama over the controversy last week.

(Reporting By Kim Dixon and Rachelle Younglai; Editing by Karey Van Hall and Tim Dobbyn)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/republican-issa-call-irss-lerner-back-tea-party-145240506.html

The Pope bruno mars the Grammys 2013 State of the Union 2013 katy perry Rihanna Katy Perry Grammys 2013

Netflix looks to hook subscribers with 'Arrested'

This undated publicity photo released by Netflix shows David Cross, left, and Portia de Rossi in a scene from "Arrested Development," premiering May 26, 2013 on Netflix. The sitcom, also starring Jason Bateman and Will Arnett, was canceled by Fox in 2006 after three seasons. (AP Photo/Netflix, Sam Urdank)

This undated publicity photo released by Netflix shows David Cross, left, and Portia de Rossi in a scene from "Arrested Development," premiering May 26, 2013 on Netflix. The sitcom, also starring Jason Bateman and Will Arnett, was canceled by Fox in 2006 after three seasons. (AP Photo/Netflix, Sam Urdank)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Netflix is hoping this weekend's release of the resurrected TV series "Arrested Development" will draw more subscribers to its Internet video service.

The award-winning show about the dysfunctional Bluth family returns Sunday, seven years after Fox cancelled the series. The revival coincides with Netflix's own resounding comeback from a customer backlash over price increases and shareholders' worries about rising expenses. The adversity had raised doubts about the company's management and future.

Now, Netflix is winning back subscribers and investors with a bold attempt to establish its $8-per-month service as a home entertainment powerhouse that rivals the broadcast television networks and premium cable channels such as HBO.

"Arrested Development," a comedy that won six Emmy awards during a critically acclaimed three-year run, is the third exclusive series from Netflix Inc. this year. It's part of Netflix's effort to add more original programming to a selection that consists primarily of old TV series and movies.

With 29.2 million U.S. subscribers ? far more than the 21.9 million TV subscribers that leading cable provider Comcast Corp. has ? Netflix has already reshaped home entertainment.

The service is encouraging more people to forego cable and satellite TV service and rely on Netflix to watch popular TV series a year or more after they originally were shown. Netflix also is empowering viewers to watch an entire season of a TV series in a matter of days instead of months.

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings isn't done disrupting things yet. He is spending more than $2 billion annually, including about $200 million to finance original programming that can be watched on traditional computers, smartphones, tablets, video game consoles and Internet-connected TVs.

By expanding its library of content, Netflix is hoping people will decide to spend their idle time on its Internet video service rather than play video games, fraternize on Facebook, surf cable or satellite TV or watch a DVD. (Netflix started out as a DVD-by-mail rental service, but it is phasing that out in favor of Internet streaming.)

"We want our members to choose Netflix in these moments of truth," Hastings wrote in a recent essay outlining Netflix's philosophy.

By bringing back "Arrested Development" this weekend, Netflix is also trying to prove that people still want to see quality entertainment even when the weather is getting nicer and the days are growing longer. That runs counter to the philosophy of broadcast TV networks, which for decades have typically started the new seasons of their top TV series in September and stopped showing new episodes just before Memorial Day weekend.

BTIG Research analyst Rich Greenfield believes the scarcity of compelling choices on broadcast TV at this time of year is bound to help Netflix draw more viewers to "Arrested Development." In a recent analysis posted on BTIG's blog, Greenfield predicted that the total number of hours watched on Netflix in June might even surpass the Fox broadcast network for the first time.

If that were to happen, it would be an ironic twist, given that Fox canceled "Arrested Development" in 2006 over the protest of the series' fervent fans. "Arrested Development" had low ratings during its run, but the viewers who did watch loved it. Others discovered the show later on DVD or Internet streaming ? both of which have been available through Netflix.

The first three seasons of "Arrested Development" were being watched by so many subscribers that Netflix knew another season would be well-received by its existing audience and would likely lure new subscribers, too.

Like Netflix's previous series, all 15 new episodes of "Arrested Development" will be released simultaneously to allow viewers to watch the show as if they were perusing a book and deciding how many chapters to pore through in a single sitting. "Arrested Development" is scheduled to be available at 12:01 a.m. PDT Sunday (3:01 a.m. EDT), meaning Netflix subscribers could conceivably devour the entire season before grilling on Memorial Day afternoon.

Netflix's departure from TV's traditional one-episode-per-week strategy has been well received by subscribers who have watched the service's previous forays into original programming.

February's release of "House of Cards," a political drama that stars Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey, helped Netflix add 2 million more U.S. subscribers during the first three months of the year, more than analysts anticipated. "Hemlock Grove," a quirky horror series, attracted additional viewers during the first weekend after its mid-April release, according to Netflix, although the company hasn't provided specific numbers.

It's difficult to quantify how many subscribers joined Netflix to watch "House of Cards" and then decided to stick with the service after seeing all the other material available. That's because "House of Cards" debuted during a winter period that is traditionally one of the service's prime times. For instance, Netflix added 1.74 million subscribers in the first three months of 2012. The difference between the two years could be an indication that "House of Cards" generated an additional 250,000 subscribers, although there is no way of knowing for sure.

In any case, "Arrested Development" is expected to attract even more new subscribers than "House of Cards" because of its built-in fan base and the success that several of its cast members have enjoyed since the show's cancellation. The original cast, including Jason Bateman, Michael Cera and Will Arnett, is returning to the zany series revolving around a family whose opulent lifestyle was torn apart by the arrest of a corrupt patriarch played by Jeffrey Tambor.

In the new episodes, viewers will get updates on the characters, one by one. Although that was done because of difficulties booking the actors all at once, it ended up allowing for a non-traditional viewing experience, one more fitting on Netflix than a traditional network. Viewers, for instance, will be able to pause an episode on one character to watch the same scene from another character's vantage point.

The long-awaited return of "Arrested Development" prompted Netflix to be more optimistic about subscriber growth during the traditionally sluggish April-to-June period, Hastings told The Associated Press in a recent interview. The Los Gatos, Calif., company predicted that it could gain as many 880,000 U.S. Internet streaming subscribers during the second quarter. Without the series, Hastings said, the projected increase probably wouldn't have exceeded 530,000, the growth it had during the same period a year ago.

If "Arrested Development" does as well as Hastings hopes, it will mark another triumph for a company that had fallen out of favor with subscribers and investors less than two years ago. Netflix infuriated customers in July 2011 when it announced price increases of as much as 60 percent for people who wanted to rent DVDs by mail and stream Internet video. Then, Hastings unleashed even more outrage by outlining plans to spin off the DVD-by-mail option into a separate service called Qwikster ? an idea that seemed so absurd that it was mocked on "Saturday Night Live."

Netflix didn't waver on its new pricing system, even though it resulted in the loss of 800,000 customers at the time. But Hastings scrapped the Qwikster concept amid the backlash. The DVD-by-mail service, which has lost 6 million customers in the past 18 months and now has 8 million, is being allowed to slowly fade away.

While Netflix subscribers were howling, shareholders were dumping their stock. Investors feared the company wouldn't be able to attract enough subscribers to cover the steadily rising fees for licensing video rights.

Those worries have dissipated now that Netflix is growing rapidly again, something that Hastings had promised would eventually happen after apologizing for the Qwikster mistake and the way he handled the price increase.

After hitting a high of nearly $305 in July 2011 and then falling to below $53 last August, Netflix's stock is trading around $225.

"I don't have a sense of 'I told you so,' or something," Hastings told the AP last month. "I have a sense of satisfaction that we are doing what we do best, which is steadily improving our service."

___

Online

http://www.netflix.com/ArrestedDevelopment

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/apdefault/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-05-24-Netflix-Arrested%20Development/id-964dda4dce46427a95c648f57c682ee3

the scream stephen colbert new madrid fault rihanna and chris brown affirmative action helicon zac efron and taylor swift

Evan Peters Joins X-Men: Days of Future Past

While The Avengers 2 isn't due in theaters until May 2015, Joss Whedon recently admitted that he'd be adding two important characters to the mix, siblings Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, who both come with a very interesting history. Because they're part of the X-Men universe and the Avengers universe, Disney/Marvel and 20th Century Fox both have the rights to use them in any of their movies. Though we don't know how they're being used in The Avengers 2, we gather it'll be in a major capacity (possibly as villains), and that Saoirse Ronan is on the wishlist to play Scarlet Witch.

That may have all changed this afternoon, however, as X-Men: Days of Future Past director Bryan Singer busted out a big announcement via Twitter, revealing that Kick-Ass actor Evan Peters has been cast as Quicksilver in his X-Men sequel, due out on July 18, 2014, less than a year before the character would appear in The Avengers 2. Did Fox simply write the character into their script in order to make things difficult for Marvel, or could Quicksilver's appearance in Days of Future Past actually help The Avengers 2 by introducing the origin story for a pivotal new Avengers character, thereby making him an easier sell by the time Marvel's monster sequel comes to town?

?

?
Based on the way Singer phrases his tweet -- and that Evan Peters is in his mid-20s -- we imagine they'll be using a younger Quicksilver in the X-Men sequel, leaving enough room for Marvel to use an older version of the same character in The Avengers 2. If it seems confusing, know that no matter what happens behind the scenes, this is definitely a cool thing for fans in that there's potential to see a single character used in two major franchises from different studios. Quicksilver's father is none other than Magneto, and if we see his origin story in Days of Future Past, then reunite with an older version of the character in The Avengers 2, all that does is allow fans to have a more complete big-screen experience with a character versus seeing only part of his history.

Of course there's also the small chance both studios are conspiring together and working toward an even bigger crossover down the line, testing the waters with one character before building something larger. That would be pretty amazing, and also pretty unbelievable considering the amount of legal hoops each party would need to jump through first.?

Should be fascinating to see what Marvel does now. We hope they stick to their plan, because assuming Fox does right by Quicksilver, it'll just make fans that much hungrier to see him appear on screen again in The Avengers 2.

What do you think?

and

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1927537/news/1927537/

looper New Years Eve New Year Outback Bowl washington redskins Carly Rae Jepsen Rose Bowl 2013